Recommended Build

Building Mini Quads can be a minefield when it comes to component selection due to the ever increasing number of products on the market and continued improvements in technology as the hobby develops.

Odds are, the parts we would recommend you buy six months ago probably wouldn't be the same parts today. That being said, this doesn't mean to say that the quads we flew six months ago were no good - we loved them and most of the time they were far faster and more powerful than we could even handle. However, new components, new protocols, new firmware and generally different styles of building are constantly being introduced. We will update this build as things change - some parts will stay recommended for a long time, others will be replaced by superior options quite quickly - that's just the nature of the beast!

We don't expect everyone to agree with us with every component choice but rest assured that we see a lot of products come and go. Many don't even make it to sale so we know the ones which perform and the ones which are reliable. If you want to try different components or something is out of stock, many of the parts listed below are interchangeable so just let us know and we can recommend suitable alternatives.

The Matek F405 board is excellent value for money and has plenty of features on board including an OSD chip configurable through betaflight so you can select what information you'd like to see on your FPV video feed.

This matek power distribution board connects via a ribbon cable to the F405 flight controller and passes the video signals over to the video transmitter. It makes for a very highly integrated, lightweight build.

Made from polycarbonate/plastic DAL T5040 V2 are the obvious balance between efficiency and raw power. You probably won't be replacing these quite as often as we used to do with older nylon props but it's still a good idea to get a few packs just in case.

The FrSky Taranis has taken the mini quad world by storm and is undoubtedly it's transmitter of choice. FrSky's ACCST protocol is rock solid with a range exceeding 2km. There is a great selection of telemetry sensors and receivers, each suited to different applications (see below for our recommended receiver).

Another huge benefit of opting for the Taranis, is simply the fact that so many other people are using it - you will find endless tutorials and setup guides on the internet making your life so much easier. The Taranis can be as simple or as complicated as you like - getting your first mini quad set up and bound won't take you too long and if you want to do anything more tricky then you can be sure that somebody will already have done it.

With a 60 model memory, actively developed open source software, voice alerts, haptic feedback and a range of telemetry options, the Taranis will do everything you need it to without breaking a sweat. You simply won't find another radio system which is as feature rich as the Taranis at the same price point.

You don't necessarily need to buy your FPV gear at the same time as the rest of your build; many people build their first mini quads and then add FPV into the equation at a later stage. This can spread the cost of building and gives a bit of LOS flying experience before you dive into FPV.

If you think you can use those little black linear antennae which come with your video transmitter and receiver, think again! These will work at close range but any further away, on a constantly banking quad, you will find that your signal drops out far too much. Without boring you with the specifics of radio waves and antenna design, omni-directional circular polarized antennae are far better suited to mini quad applications.

Your antennae are the single most important factor in your FPV setup so it's best not to skimp in this department. The TBS Triumph antennas are proven as being reliable and perform well. The extra small footprint and positionable coax cable make the Triumphs our antenna of choice for mini quad FPV.